author_lyse

I used to think obsessive male leads were kind of hot. You know, the intense stares, the undying devotion, the way they’d burn the world for the woman they love? Swoon, right?

Wrong.

That fantasy went up in smoke the moment I woke up in the body of Sonia Mitford. The heroine of The Crimson Devotion. The first obsessive romance fantasy novel I ever read. The one that ended on a mysterious hiatus. The one with Marius Wittelsbach, a charming, possessive psychopath who thinks an ankle shackle is a love language.

Now I’m trapped in a velvet-draped prison, shackled to a bedpost like some porcelain doll in a gothic fairytale. And Marius? He’s worse than I remembered. Sweet, soft-spoken, and utterly unhinged.

"You don’t need to be afraid. I’ll take care of you."
Translation: I’ll murder anyone who blinks in your direction and serve you tea over their corpse.

"Anyone who bothers you... anyone who looks at you the wrong way... I’ll get rid of them for you."

I thought I was playing the role just fine. Smiling. Nodding. Pretending not to be horrified.

But then, plot twist. Alessio Slovene, the forgettable side character, walks in looking like a golden retriever knight and drops this bomb: he’s actually the crown prince in disguise. And he’s been investigating Marius.

Finally, a lifeline. Maybe.

Because people are vanishing. The body count is rising. And every time Marius kisses my forehead and calls me “Nia,” I feel one step closer to becoming the tragic heroine in a blood-soaked love story.

Obsessive male leads aren’t dreamy.

They’re terrifying.

And I might be in way over my head.

The Obsessive Male Lead Is Actually Scary

Someone called out to me, balancing a silver tray with a chilled glass of ice water and a few pieces of dessert. The midday sun had risen high, casting sharp rays across the inn's wide courtyard. I'd just finished another hour of crossbow training, sweat dampening the back of my shirt and my hair sticking to my neck.

"Oh, Emir!" I said, lowering the crossbow. "How's Amira doing?"

"She's much better now, thanks to you. The doctor said she'll probably recover completely after a few more treatments."

"Thanks!" I said, taking it with both hands.

Emir grinned brightly, clearly happy to be of help.

"Ah, he stepped out a moment ago with Sir Mateo. I was just about to head inside the inn too."

"Ah, is that so?" he replied, pausing thoughtfully.

"What's wrong?" I tilted my head, eyeing his face with curiosity.

The Calm Before